Its is important each of us who are fortunate enough to have food on our table make sure others have food on theirs. Can I ask your support in feeding the homeless and those in need this Thanksgiving?
Consider giving a buck or two and I will match a portion of the funds to the food bank of your choice
Here are some photos of what we are doing at the Food Bank of Nevada County
Food bank staff and board of directors (Some of us anyway)
From our garden we provide fresh homegrown vegetables - These we grew ourselves!
We serve an incredible 12,000 HEALTHY snacks a week to Nevada County Schools beside feeding thousands a month with complete meals
Help me help our community
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TURKEY MATTERS IN FULL SWING
Can I count on you? Can our hungry count on you? Let’s do it!
Its time again for our Turkey Matters food drive for the food banks of our counties.
Help me feed the poor with our annual turkey drive where we buy turkeys for the poor. I do this every year and now ask for community support. The program is easy. Just make a check out to the food bank of your choice. Do not make the check out to KVMR or me. Make it out to the food bank of your choice.
Mail: KVMR FM 120 Bridge Street, Nevada City, Ca 95959. Attention Turkey Matters.
I will match a portion of the funds with my own money to that food bank and KVMR will forward my check and yours to that food bank. That’s all there is too it! Please consider helping.
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Money Matters airs this Thursday October 20, 2016 at NOON PST
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Diatribe Fall 2016
Years ago a nation repressed. Over taxation by the monarchs, too much in your face meddling by the so called rulers and just basically having had enough, a group decided to flee their homeland in search of a new one.
Across the treacherous Pacific they came, here to America. Boat after boat arrived, not without peril of course. Some drowned, others eaten by natives because they landed somewhere else I suppose. Disease took some more and those that did arrive had to survive harsh winters, unknown perils and hostile inhabitants in some cases. But came they did, traversing farther west, until the whole nation was conquered, or inhabited as some might say.
They established new rules, even fought off the rulers from their old stomping grounds as they tried an across the ocean tax grab. Since no army can really inhabit another’s land for long, the ruler in Britain gave up and said the hell with ‘em.
So the newly found nation penned its Constitution and Articles and set off to live a life on based on the concept of liberty. Some say Democracy but that has its flaws.
Preposterous some say, how could Democracy be flawed? After all what is better than the will of majority? Well, it can also be called mob rule right? If my mob has more people than your mob, we rule. That’s called strength in numbers and that is the epitome of democracy- the great numbers get their way
But Democracy flawed? Maybe. Think of two wolves and lamb, deciding what to have for dinner.
The majority of course, the two wolves, would have lamb chops for dinner under the rule of democracy, after all they will win the vote. But the poor lamb, being a minority, will forfeit his liberty and life to satisfy the mob, aka the democratic decision.
Ah, but others might say liberty is where the vote is taken but the lamb in this case is well armed and has the means to defend itself from the ruling mob, in this case the two wolves.
The lamb’s liberty and therefore his rights are now defended by his right to bear arms you could say. That it is his right and it works out pretty well for the lamb. The wolves will have to consider another alternative and one that doesn’t trample another ones rights
We can conclude that Democracy might not work for you so well if it’s your rights, and your liberties being violated by the majority.
Liberty then could be thought of as, you have the right to do what you want, as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of another. Now that sounds like a better deal. The wolves have the right to WANT to eat the lamb, but if the lamb objects, his rights would be infringed upon because basically he would die. Not so good. So the wolves, under liberty, cannot exercise their right to a lamb stew despite having the majority as that would infringe on the lambs right to life.
Lamb insuring his rights are not trampled by the Mob
One could draw it out a bit further and say, you have the right to want to help out someone, but you don’t have the right to force another to do so, even if it might appear to be the right thing to do. The same could be said for taxes. You have the right to vote on a tax you would pay, but you don’t have the right to vote on a tax another would pay, especially if you won’t pay it yourself.
Want a tax to help the homeless? Go ahead and pay it, it’s your right, but you can’t force another to pay it, THAT infringes on his right to keep his money.
In any case, you can bet it wasn’t the lamb who said give me democracy or give me death, in fact nobody said that. But there was a wise man who insisted “give me liberty or give me death”.
There is a big difference between Democracy and Liberty. They are not the same, just ask the lamb. One tramples rights in the long run, the other insures them forever.
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Is this what we now call a thriving economy? Accumulating astronomical amounts of debt to fund some sort of so called "growth"?
So the nation thrived for the first few hundred years, some could argue by stripping the land of its resources, like locusts. Others would argue they thrived by doing what men do-evolving, working, inventing, innovating and growing in numbers. Yes, we always seem to grow in numbers.
In the early years, those ruling this country kept true to the founding fathers ideals which was exercising liberty and keeping the ruling class under wraps.
We don’t want a repeat of the Britain monarchy, the initial reason those so long ago fled here under extreme hardship and sacrifice.
Not all societies in the world are democratic of course, nor do few practice real liberty.
Man’s propensity to want power sees to that. Get more power. After all give a man power and all he wants is more of it.
People like to meddle, especially in others peoples business, thinking they know best what’s good for the world.
Once upon a time, a man, a rather evil man, who didn’t believe in either democracy or liberty said, quite intelligently and with incredible foresight and understanding of the human condition- “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. ... until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money”
Simple yet never truer, these words hold the key to movement and change in the human condition and not a change for the better. The founders left Britain because of this simple fact and established rules to prevent it from happening, yet the nation was well on its way to becoming again like Britain. The do-gooders, world improvers and the meddlers slowly worked their way into the fabric of government in the new land, well not so new now of course, we have been around for 200 plus years.
A founding father knew this tendency of man to ruin the best laid plans of man when uttering shortly after being asked “what have we got sir a republic or a monarchy? He replied- “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Keep it indeed. As this nation progressed through the 1700’s and 1800’s, progressed we did. The most prosperous time ever for this country most would say. Even the start of the 1900’s were pretty damn good, with the invention of the assembly line and other innovations. Truly the United States ruled the planet in progress and freedom.
Ah but those naysayers again, you’re raping the countryside, walking on human rights, with some men getting rich, and that is not fair. Everyone should be equal. Well, that’s not quite what was said. What was said was that all men were BORN equal, but didn’t necessarily end up that way.
So the meddlers had to do something about it again. Insisting they make rules that others have to follow.
Now think back to our liberty discussion. Remember, The meddlers do have the right to think what they want, and act on what they want to act on, yet under the rule of liberty have no cause to make others act.
True, some may be infringing on the rights of others, but it is infringing, that is the issue. We don’t infringe on others because they are infringing on us. That just makes the problem worse. What we do is stop the original infringement, not make more of them.
In any case, democracy took hold in the US over liberty somewhere in the early 1900’s replacing the idea of liberty ever so slowly. The meddlers saw things they wanted to change by forcing their ideas down the gullets of others. They viewed the world through their utopian glasses where everyone gets a new car, a new home and chicken in every pot, or something like that. Now its “everyone deserves a cell phone”. My, how times change.
Never mind who works and who doesn’t. Those not working must WANT TO WORK right? No, not everyone. Some don’t want to work, and some just don’t want to work as hard as another. Its human nature, not inequality.
But the original need to work stemmed from hunger. If thou shall not work, thou shall not eat. The law of nature, not of man.
Nature knew something simple. Nothing motivates like hunger. Some don’t want to work, but give them an empty stomach and they WILL WANT TO WORK, trust me on this one.
But ah, those people with better ideas than me, decide on things like, lets tax them and everybody will vote on the tax, although only a few (think the lamb) will actually pay the tax.
It’s easy to pass a tax especially if you won’t pay it, that the most painless tax of all, just ask the mob. They will gladly vote on a tax they don’t have to pay. That’s democracy for you. Tt works out very well except if you are an unarmed lamb.
Remember, liberty is the right to pay your money to help someone if you want but you can’t force another to do so.
Liberty doesn’t sound so good anymore does it?
Especially if you are a meddler.
Well, it actually does still sound good to me, but your world improving DNA is showing there Agnus.
Yes, let’s make someone ELSE pay their fair share because WE think and know what’s fair don’t we?
After all, two million a year is too much. It’s not fair.
And who decides what another man needs? Not that other man of course. That’s too simplistic.
Let the mob decide what’s fair. It’s better for the wolves that way, never mind the lamb. There aren’t many of those anyway.
Uh, that ain’t liberty missy, that’s mob rule, and that didn’t work out so well for six million Jews a few decades ago.
So let’s do an exercise and vote on the issue, shall we?
How many think that group over THERE should pay more tax?
Most of you? Yep thought so
Well there you have it then, its lamb for dinner.
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So with more people on food stamps then ever and more poor people than ever and more money being spent of food stamps then ever and more money being spent on poor people than ever, why do we have so many people on food stamps than ever before and more poor people than ever before?
Well, you could argue pay a man to stay home and he will stay home. That what welfare does. Pay a woman to have children and some will have children? Maybe.
Have a lot of people vote on taxes they won’t pay themselves and you will have a lot of taxes, and that’s what we have, a lot of taxes. Have a lot of taxes and some people will go broke, end up poor and needing welfare and assistance, and that’s what we have, more poor people, more people on welfare and more people needing assistance.
Tax people who make more and they will make less to avoid the taxes. And that’s what we have, more people working less.
Our tax base says the more you make, the more taxes you pay. So I will make less and work less. How is that for incentive?
If I make more you will take more so I won’t work more. And that’s what we have right?
Less people working, more assistance programs, more people needing assistance and more people asking for assistance. The models call for it, the results prove it, yet few see it.
Oh yes, we do have another main cause which is the Federal Reserve printing up money and causing inflation which drives more people into the poor house but that is a story for another day now isn’t it.
So once again class. Having a tax structure that punishes you for working more and making more money and rewards you for working less and making less. Yes, no one would argue that is how the tax `system` works in today’s world because it does.
How about doing the opposite? How about a graduated tax that gives people incentive to work more rather than work less?
The more you make the LESS you pay. Yea yea, we cap it somehow and tweak the fine printt, but the incentive is geared in the RIGHT direction.
Cut more lawns, you pay less tax. Flip more burgers you pay less tax.
On the flip side, do you want to stay home and not work much? You pay through the teeth and go hungry. More reason to get off your butt and get a job, any job.
Want to work a few extra hours to contribute to your great economy? GREAT, you pay less tax.
Take a second job to make more, you pay even less. Now that’s a plan I could get behind? While they run me out of town that is.
It’s a basic Pavlovian response tax plan however. So simple and logical it boggles the mind who fail to see its benefits.
WORK MORE PAY LESS. So people would WORK MORE. Its’s that simple folks, it’s that simple.
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So now we choose between a reality star accused of molesting woman and the power crazed wife of an ex-president supposedly accused of murder (think Vince Foster folks)
Yea yea, no proof I know, but come on, anyone out there think Hillary or the Don are saints here?
Shall vote on it? Well yes, we eventually will.
After all what’s so bad about murder and womanizing. Presidents have done both since the beginning. Look at JFK and his philandering. How about FDR, Thomas Jefferson, Lyndon Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, the list goes on.
Talking about presidential flings, did you know Vincent Foster's connection to the Clinton's was primarily via Hillary, rather than Bill. Vincent and Hillary had been partners together at the Rose Law firm, and allegations of an ongoing affair had persisted from the Little Rock days to the White House itself. Was Hillary involved with Vince? So say the rumors but they are just rumors of course!
Killed to bury an affair? Or killed because of a shady land transaction. Both pretty lurid and definitely illegal if forced death was a factor eh folks? Especially if the rumors are true and Hillary had a hand in it, or pulled the trigger herself. No proof of course. People see to things of that sort when the things are big enough.
And how about not so direct murder?
What do you call a drone?
Mass bombing?
Condoned assassinations?
C’mon folks, all in a day’s work in the oval office so why act so aghast!
What’s sad is we act like it’s a transgression when it happens then forgive and forget after a while.
Such is the forgiveness and memory of the electorate. Think the Nixon pardon, the banksters with no jail time, Clinton’s perjury and Bushes so called weapons of mass destruction hidden in Iraq. We forgive and forget, but not in four weeks’ time. Don’t try this at home though. Only the elite get free get out jail cards. The average Joe gets no such gratuity.
Trump's problem is the news just came out and not enough time has passed. Hillary’s good fortune is that many voting for her weren’t even out of diapers when Vince Foster committed suicide somehow with his arms neatly folded, so I read somewhere.
Hell, we even pardoned perjury from Hillary’s husband as well as his defaming the oval office with his hot august night fiascos. Is it possible he did it on the oval rug on the presidential seal so often seen in the oval office photos?
Yech… Too much information for sure.
So a reality TV star billionaire versus an “over one hundred millionaire”, power mad, political lifer, this is what we’ve come to. No wonder some people don’t vote.
Well no matter who you do vote for, the adage “you get the government you deserve” comes to mind. You will, trust me on this one too.
I, an overfed short-haired leaping gnome, college educated and life skilled in many things (woodworking not one of them) I predict, and likely rather accurately if I get lucky, that at the end of four more years, there will be no improvement in welfare, food stamps, the poor, the super-rich and the mega banks.
The names and titles of those blamed for our ills may change but the blame finger (that’s not the middle one by the way but the index one) will still be pointed away from the person pointing it, the one sitting in oval office.
After all, it is always somebody else’s fault now right?
Certainly seems that way where Presidents are involved.
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Can anyone tell the future in markets?
Where the markets go after the election we do not know.
Common belief is a Hillary win would be same old, same old for the banks and Wall Street. More money printing encouragement from her to juice the economy and pay for her lavish spending plans will jerk the stock market out of its funk and scream it higher so say some.
Others say Hillary will doom us to higher inflation through the very same spending and allow the banks through her ignorance to bring us to the brink of another world disaster which will crash everything money. No one knows for sure.
On the other hand a Donald victory is the utmost in uncertainty. Trumps knows more in his pinky about Wall Street then Hillary could ever hope to know in her lifetime but Trump is vague in his plans. What he says he will do is not everything he wants to do and public spending may be both so he will likely be right behind Hillary with the national credit card a blazing. Wall Street might like a fellow billionaire in control but they too know not what this wild card will do. It scares many just what he might do. Nuff said…..
Will Trump build more weapons? Not that he could out do the current administration in military spending but it is I suppose possible. Will he use one? Who knows? I don’t think Trump himself knows until the moment arrives, if it ever does.
Will Trump build a wall so the price at Taco Bell goes up? Or will my Ford Fiesta cost more not being able to jump a 30 foot wall? Will Putin go head to head with the Donald?
Will he actually jail Hillary? A million questions of which I have no concrete answers.
Who knows and that is the point. No one knows. We will just have to see what the markets do when whoever gets in there gets in there. Jack be nimble and jack be quick. Stay awake ladies and gentlemen.
My advice?
Consult a qualified financial professional for your investing needs and remember, no one can predict market movements anytime, anywhere. They are that difficult to discern. Keep up with your duck and cover drills and pray a lot. God might have to take care of us on this one.
This nor any part of Money Matters is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any securities and should absolutely not be construed as investment advice nor any indication that I have any idea what I am talking about.
All for now,
Marc
